[0:45] How many employees does your company have spread across the state?

Just under 1000 employees and volunteers. We are currently hiring for help desk and recycling drives. We take old appliances and electronics to pull apart and take the gold for resale.

[02:45] Is the Great Resignation true? Do people still want to work?

We know we aren’t the highest-paying company out there, but we try to compensate with opportunities and assistance towards education and further learning. We aim to give back. We have a training program that allows people to spend time in every department of IT so they can see where they want to go.

[08:00] What was it like moving into the non-profit sector? Any advice for people switching industries or looking for a change?

People always say when you start a new job, don’t touch anything for a certain period. But where is the line when you see things eroding around you? When I came in, I self-promoted some staff and I asked what they were interested in. I set one person up to start cybersecurity because we didn’t have anyone. Their time is split between the help desk and their interest/what the company lacked. We’ve been undertaking a huge cybersecurity initiative in the last few months. Goodwill has 2 parts: philanthropy, where we give back and help communities, and then the retail side of things. Number-one is supporting the community.

[14:55] Does IT play any part in data gathering and analysis of communities?

Yes, and it’s only just expanding and understanding the data we receive. How do we track the people that donate high-value items and understand where they come from and what motivates them to donate, etc? Also, how do we track neighborhoods and communities in need, and how do we track if we are making an impact?

[18:40] How do you balance the IT budget?

We have a board committee that we present to and we have 2 sides we have to present for, retail and philanthropy. It’s my first year presenting the budget, so I’ve shot for the moon and we will see what happens. We want to get more redundancies and look towards next year’s cost reductions as well. We use a pricing system for retail. Is there a way for us to design our own API and save money as well as price things more accurately? We have automated systems that scan eBay and other websites for prices on books. There’s a lot of manual labor involved in the retail section, and we need to support them too.

[25:50] What did you do before the internet?

I played a lot of football. I grew up a little rough, so it was more like two-hand push football. I think we are going to have a generation of kids born on technology and YouTube, and we have to work out how to change that. There are going to be issues with anxiety and social functioning. How do we manage that in the future and navigate these issues now?

[42:14] What’s the end goal for IT people?

Either go work for a small shop and semi-retire, or develop something that can be transformational, whether it’s a service or application. As a leader, you are dabbling in every facet of the industry. You are always looking at the small things to change that can be transformative.

[47:45] As an IT Director, why not sell yourself into part of the company?

I think IT is often overlooked in that respect. As a cost center, people don’t see it as anything else. As you grow, you should be able to back yourself and your skills. Your typical CMOs or Marketing execs think like that all the time. We don’t celebrate our wins enough. We’re always looking for the next problem.

[53:50] Do you have any final words for someone looking to get into IT?

I think IT is changing; our role is more people management and vendors now. The key is people. How do you progress them and give them growth opportunities? Keep them excited.